Suspected Zoo Thief "Just Wanted A Bear" , According To Cousin

BLACKSBURG, S.C. -- A Blacksburg man accused of stealing a bear cub from an Upstate animal park is still in jail Wednesday. Meanwhile, his cousin says she took the bear from his home and brought it back to the zoo after he told her he had stolen it.

Investigators say Saturday night, John Chadwick Montgomery broke into Hollywild Animal park and absconded with Newell, a 7-month old black bear. Joy Crawford says Montgomery, her cousin, pulled up into her driveway on Sunday and told her he had stolen a bear.

"He said he just wanted a bear," says Crawford. "He's always been great with animals and has had a lot of exotic pets, so it really didn't surprise me. He has done a lot of stupid things."

Crawford says Montgomery told her the bear was not his initial target at Hollywild. Deputies say after breaking in, he tried to steal a capuchin monkey, but another monkey stopped the attempted abduction.

"One of 'em jumped on his back and bit him," says Crawford. "He threw it down and then went for the bear."

According to police reports, Montgomery then brought his purloined pet to Flying J Travel Plaza on I-85 in Blacksburg. Deputies say he offered people the chance to pet the bear for a dollar. But his cousin says he was actually only charging half that price.

"He told me he asked for 50 cents," says Crawford, who was clearly exasperated by her cousin's story. "Why would you take (the bear) up there and walk it around in a parking lot after you stole it? That's just as stupid as stealing it."

Crawford says Montgomery was keeping the bear in a large pen behind his home. She says it was spacious and had water and food for Newell, and even had a tire swing. But she says she knew she had to do the right thing and return Newell to Hollywild. She says she called police, then went to Montgomery's home. She says she and her son put Newell in the backseat of her car. A Department of Natural Resources officer met them at the home and escorted them back to Hollywild in Inman.

"We had to have a police escort because if we had gotten pulled over, we would have had a hard time explaining the bear in the backseat," says Crawford.

She says Hollywild officials thanked her for returning the bear, and she says Newell was clearly happy to be reunited with his caretaker, Sandy Adorno.

"She came out there and he went running to her like she was his mama," says Crawford. "That made me cry."

Deputies arrested Montgomery, charging him with three counts of burglary and grand larceny. They are still looking for two suspects - Anthony Derrick Elliot and Amy Brooke Mayberry, both of Blacksburg - who they believe helped Montgomery steal the bear.